Native Pollinators and Private Lands

Pollination is a critical ecosystem service that helps to maintain the ecological integrity of native plant communities and ensures the production of U.S. agricultural crops valued in the billions of dollars annually. Interest in conservation of native pollinators has grown rapidly over the last few years as several species have experienced dramatic population declines.

As more than 94% of Texas lands are privately owned, effective native pollinator conservation will require private landowner engagement and involvement. Landowners can play a significant role in conserving and maintaining populations of native pollinators by applying management practices that benefit these species. However, large-scale conservation is often cost-prohibitive without financial incentive. One such incentive, available to landowners who currently manage land qualified under the 1-D-1 Agricultural Tax Valuation, is Agricultural Tax Appraisal Based on Wildlife Management Use.

The Nongame and Rare Species Program has crafted a native pollinator management guidelines landowners can use to develop their wildlife management plan for wildlife tax valuation. To learn more about these guidelines and native pollinators in Texas, visit the links below.